US-Iran War highlights: UAE says air defences intercepted two drones launched from Iran

Iran has sent its response to a US proposal aimed at ending the more than two-month-long war, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency. The response was reportedly delivered through Pakistan, which has emerged as a mediator in ongoing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

According to a source familiar with the proposal, the current phase of negotiations is focused solely on halting hostilities and stabilising the region. Sources on both sides told Reuters that discussions are centred around a temporary memorandum of understanding that would pause the conflict and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz while broader negotiations continue over contentious issues including Iran’s nuclear programme.

Qatar on Sunday condemned a drone attack targeting a cargo vessel in its territorial waters, calling the incident a dangerous escalation amid already heightened regional tensions. In a statement posted by the foreign ministry on X, Doha warned that the attack threatens maritime security and stability across the Gulf region.

The Qatari government said the strike posed a direct risk to the movement of commercial shipping and vital supply routes. The incident is likely to intensify concerns over the security of maritime traffic near the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor already under pressure from the wider Iran conflict.

The United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed two drones that entered its airspace from Iran. The defence ministry did not report casualties or damage from the latest incident. The interception comes days after the UAE said it had engaged Iranian missiles and drones amid rising regional tensions despite an ongoing ceasefire framework linked to the Iran war.

A drone attack struck an Iranian Kurdish opposition camp east of Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, according to security sources. Initial reports did not immediately confirm casualties or the extent of damage. The incident adds to growing cross-border tensions linked to the wider Iran conflict, with Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq frequently accusing Tehran and allied militias of targeting their positions.

Qatar’s Prime Minister met US Secretary of State and the US Middle East envoy in Miami, according to the Qatar foreign ministry. The discussions focused on broader regional developments amid ongoing West Asia tensions and explored Pakistani-mediated efforts aimed at de-escalation. The meeting comes as diplomatic activity intensifies alongside continued instability in Gaza and intermittent regional security incidents. No detailed outcomes of the talks were immediately disclosed.

Kuwait’s armed forces said they detected several hostile drones in its airspace early Sunday and responded under established procedures, marking the first such incident since the Iran war ceasefire in April. The UAE earlier this week reported air defence engagement of two Iranian ballistic missiles and three drones, which left three people injured. Kuwait had previously faced Iranian drone activity targeting infrastructure during the conflict, including a wave on April 8.

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least three Palestinians on Sunday, including two Hamas-run police officials, according to health authorities. One strike hit Maghazi refugee camp, killing one person, while another in Khan Younis killed criminal police head Wessam Abdel-Hadi and his aide. Violence persists despite October 2025 ceasefire, with around 850 Palestinians killed since then, medics say, while Israel reports four soldiers killed. Both sides continue to blame each other for violations.

An unknown projectile struck a ship off the coast of Qatar early Sunday morning, a UK maritime agency reported, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards threatened to target US vessels in the region.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a bulk carrier had reported being hit 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha by an "unknown projectile."

"There was a small fire that has been extinguished, there are no casualties. There is no reported environmental impact," the agency said.

(AFP)

Massive posters, nationalist slogans and public displays of resistance have taken over parts of Tehran as Iran projects a message of defiance amid rising tensions in the region.

One of the most striking visuals on the streets of the Iranian capital is a large depiction of the Strait of Hormuz covered by a giant net trapping American aircraft, warships and drones. The imagery carries a direct warning to adversaries attempting to enter or control the crucial maritime route.

Read more in this India Today ground report from Iran

Isolated and traumatised by drones and missiles, seafarers in the Gulf face grave mental suffering after more than two months stuck on board in the Middle East war, maritime charities warn. From captains to cooks, engineers and other officers, the workers who keep global freight flowing have found themselves not just stranded but in some cases right in the firing line of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

"We hear stories of how frightened they are. It's pretty scary," said Gavin Lim, head of the Crisis Response Network for the Sailors' Society, a UK-based seafarers' charity, who spoke with one crew whose vessel was hit. "They thought: 'We were going to die'." Trade vessels have been struck by projectiles and fired on by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in dozens of incidents, according to the British maritime security monitor UKMTO.

At least 11 seafarers have been killed, according to the International Maritime Organization. "They see drones flying, they see missiles flying, and then we see instances where the ships get hit," said Lim. "You can imagine that anxiety and fear building up. 'Are we just bait? Are we going to be a victim so that someone can make a point?'" The Seafarers' Charity cites hypervigilance, burnout, fatigue, loneliness, depression and anxiety as some of the mental strains facing the 20,000 seafarers stranded by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since February 28.

At least two commercial vessels have been seized by Iranian forces under their blockade of the vital trade route. A video showed masked guards with guns boarding a ship. "We heard that one of the seafarers, an officer, suffered a panic attack while the vessel was being boarded," said John Canias, maritime operations coordinator for the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).

"Fortunately, the news is they have been taken care of... they have been allowed to speak to their family through the internet." -

BEREAVED FAMILIES

The strain extends to the seafarers' families at home, worried about their stranded loved ones – or in the worst cases, bereaved. On March 1, the second day of the conflict, a projectile hit a tanker in the Gulf, killing a 25-year-old Indian seafarer as he started his shift in the engine room, said Melanie Warman, communications director for the Sailors' Society, who spoke to his family.

"The mother has been in and out of hospital, not eating. It's obviously a really desperate situation," she told AFP. "For the families, this is really, really difficult. We hear from families who can't reach their loved ones on board ships and they're really frantic with worry." Like the Sailors' Society, another sailors' helpline charity, the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), fields calls from trapped workers and offers them practical and psychological support.

"Most of the calls are around repatriation -- what are their rights, how to go about it -- and also obviously the sort of the stress and the worry about being in a conflict zone and not being trained or prepared for it," said ISWAN's chief executive, Simon Grainge.

TRAINING TO COPE

Some charities are working with shipping companies to strengthen support for seafarers under unprecedented strain. "The most up-to-date guidance we have on mental health and attacks is really based around Somali piracy, which is more under control" since attacks in the Indian Ocean surged in the early 2000s, said Deborah Layde, chief executive of the Seafarers' Charity.

"One of the things that quite a few organisations are now calling for is really up-to-date guidance on how to deal with wartime issues," she added. "This isn't something that a lot of shipping companies are ready for." To that end, the charity has turned to mental health professionals to help provide guidelines and a webinar to guide seafarers to cope with the stress of the situation.

"There's this constant higher level of stress and hypervigilance without that ability to reset as they might normally do. There's exhaustion," said Rachel Glynn-Williams, a psychologist working with seafarers who is involved in developing the webinar.

"At the point I pick up crew conversations, they will have been on hyper-alert for a sustained amount of time, so their nervous system will be heightened and it's going to take a little time, depending on the individual, for that nervous system to reset," she told AFP. "For some people, it might be fairly soon afterwards, within a matter of days, if not hours. For others, it might take a little longer."

(AFP)

The naval arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a stern warning on Saturday, saying that any attack on Iranian oil tankers or commercial ships would invite a "heavy assault" on one of the US bases in the Middle East and on enemy ships. The warning came even as a fragile ceasefire appeared to be holding between the two sides.

(With inputs from AP)

Israel set up a secret military outpost in a desert area in Iraq to support the Israeli air campaign against ​Iran, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that cited people familiar with the matter, including US officials. Israeli forces also launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who ‌nearly discovered the clandestine base, the report added.

Israel built the installation, ​which housed special forces and served as a ​logistical hub for the Israeli air force, with the ⁠knowledge of the US just before the start of ​the US-Israeli war against Iran, the newspaper said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Hana Shabanpour, an Iranian junior tennis player, withdrew from the final of a J60 tournament in Turkiye rather than face an Israeli opponent, according to Iranian media reports.

Iran’s ISNA news agency said the decision was taken in protest against Israel’s actions toward Palestinians.

The withdrawal drew attention amid continuing political tensions in sports involving Iranian and Israeli athletes, with Iranian competitors in several disciplines previously declining to compete against Israelis citing support for the Palestinian cause.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, as both sides discussed regional security and defence cooperation, the US State Department said.

According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio thanked Qatar for its continued partnership with Washington on a range of key issues.

The discussions also focused on US support for Qatar’s defence capabilities and the need for close coordination between the two countries to counter regional threats and maintain stability across the Middle East.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions in the region and ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Gulf nations.

Hezbollah on Saturday claimed responsibility for 22 strikes targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

The group said its fighters attacked Israeli troop gatherings and military vehicles in several areas using rockets, artillery fire and attack drones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday expressed hope that the ongoing conflict involving Iran would come to an end soon, warning that prolonged instability could have serious global consequences.

Speaking on the crisis, Putin said the situation remained highly complicated and cautioned that if the conflict continues, “the whole world will pay the price.”

The Russian leader also acknowledged that the tensions place Moscow in a delicate diplomatic position, as Russia maintains strong relations with both Iran and several Gulf nations.

At least four people were killed in fresh Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon on Saturday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

One person died after an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle near the Toul–Doueir road, while Israeli warplanes also carried out two air raids near the Zawtar River.

In Nabatieh, three young men were killed after an air strike hit a building in the al-Bayad neighbourhood, the report said.

The latest attacks have pushed the death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday to at least 23, amid continuing tensions along the border.

Hezbollah on Saturday claimed responsibility for three separate attacks targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, saying the operations were carried out in response to ongoing Israeli strikes despite an existing ceasefire agreement.

In a statement released by the group, Hezbollah said its fighters launched coordinated assaults over the past several hours against Israeli military positions near the border region. The Iran-backed armed group described the attacks as retaliation for what it called repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

Fresh speculation surrounding Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei intensified after a senior Iranian figure claimed he suffered injuries during the opening phase of the war.

Mazaher Hosseini, linked to Iran’s former Supreme Leader’s office, said Khamenei sustained knee and back injuries but is now in “complete health” and is expected to appear publicly in the near future.